And it wasn’t long before the men showed up (Picture: Xposurephotos.com)

Gemma and Arg, who was sporting a fetching tuxedo, were also spotted together.

The show is due to return for its sixth series on ITV2 on Sunday night, and the absence of Joey and Arg during the early part of the shoot comes as cast member Billie Mucklow voiced doubts about the men on the show.

The 24-year-old claimed she had no plans to get romantically involved with any of them, saying: ‘Definitely not, they’re all too young.

The new series is set to begin on ITV2 on Sunday night (Picture: Xposurephotos.com)

‘Arg is the last person for me, he’s just not for me at all,’ she told Digital Spy. ‘The other boys are too young. We need some new boys – not boys, men.’

While all the main cast members are set to return, there is speculation about Chloe Sims’ future on the show, following reports she was set to quit due to other commitments.

‘There is no doubt that 2012 is going to be a big year for Chloe. She loves TOWIE. After all, it made her a household name,’ a source told the Daily Star.

‘But she is so swamped with new project ideas she may need to leave the nest soon.’